Patient monitoring systems are widely used in the medical field to enable healthcare providers to monitor the condition of patients. Patient monitoring systems enable healthcare providers to remotely monitor patients from a central monitoring station, e.g., a nurses' station, that is in communication with multiple local patient monitors. Local patient monitors, e.g., oximeters, ECGs, or pulse rate monitors, are typically connected to a central station via a wired or wireless network in a healthcare facility. The central station may store patient data or interface with medical record databases as part of an electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Wired communications between a local patient monitor and central station is typically via a local area network using an Ethernet protocol. Wireless communications between a local patient monitor and central station is typically via a wireless local area network using a wireless Ethernet protocol based on the 802.11 family of standards. Some local monitors utilize a personal area network such as Bluetooth to support wireless communications with one or more patient sensors or to communication with a central station via an access point.
Communications between a local patient monitor and a central station or between a local patient monitor and a sensor may be protected by encryption of the data being communicated. Some patient monitoring systems support remote monitoring of patient physiological parameters via pagers, personal digital assistants (pda), and other portable computing devices that communicate with a central station or local patient monitor via the Internet or a wireless access point on the premises of a healthcare facility.
Unfortunately, existing patient monitoring systems, including local patient monitors, do not provide an efficient way of allowing a healthcare provider, e.g, physician, to securely access monitored patient physiological parameters using a portable communications device. Accordingly, there is a need to enhance the ability of healthcare providers to more efficiently and securely obtain access to local patient physiological data using a portable computing or communications device.